Williams Partners LP (WPZ): Today's Featured Chemicals Laggard

Williams Partners was a leading decliner within the chemicals industry, falling $0.88 (-1.8%) to $48.65 on heavy volume

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Williams Partners ( WPZ) pushed the Chemicals industry lower today making it today's featured Chemicals laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day up 1.3%. By the end of trading, Williams Partners fell $0.88 (-1.8%) to $48.65 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 1,760,364 shares of Williams Partners exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 651,300 shares. The stock ranged in price between $48.12-$49.72 after having opened the day at $49.50 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $49.53. Other companies within the Chemicals industry that declined today were: Metabolix ( MBLX), down 5.2%, Gevo ( GEVO), down 3.2% and Synthesis Energy Sys ( SYMX), down 1.8%.

Williams Partners L.P., an energy infrastructure company, focuses on connecting North America's hydrocarbon resource plays to growing markets for natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL). It operates in two segments, Gas Pipeline and Midstream Gas & Liquids. Williams Partners has a market cap of $21.9 billion and is part of the basic materials sector. Shares are down 3.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are 6 analysts that rate Williams Partners a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 6 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Williams Partners as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its good cash flow from operations and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.